Can we be sure we are a child of God 

and will go to be with Him after we leave this earth? 

Heaven is where we all hope to go after we leave this earth. 

There are lots of questions about Heaven, but who has the right answers?

This page is a summary of what the Bible teaches about how to get to Heaven.

Do you think you will go there? Why? 

• Because you’re a good person? It’s a common misconception that you can go to Heaven just by being a good person. 
• Because you’ve done more good than bad? It’s great to be good, but how can you know if it’s good enough?
• Because God loves everybody and will forgive all our sins?

Well, God does love everybody, but the Bible says clearly that God still has requirements to enter Heaven. And by the way, God does not send anyone to Hell. They go there because they refuse to take the path that He has shown for us to get to Heaven. 

Bible Verse — Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure (no sin), who do not worship idols and never tell lies - Psalm 24:3-4.

Do our sins matter to God?

Think of it this way — if you embezzle money from your boss, who takes you to court, and you say to the Judge, “but I’m really a good person. In fact, I used most of that money to help people.” Will the judge let you off? Can the judge just forgive you of doing wrong? 

No, he can’t because there are laws he has to follow. 

God has laws too. We must understand that His laws are not to ruin our fun, or to make life boring, but to give us the very best life we could possibly have—really!

Bible Verse — Jesus said the devil comes to kill and steal, “but I (Jesus) have come that you may have abundant life” (richly fulfilling and satisfying, joyful and even thrilling) - John 10:10.

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God is perfect and holy and one of His laws is — No one who sins will be able enter heaven.

Have you ever sinned? 

Hardly anyone would say they have never sinned. The problem is, we don’t think our sins really matter; they aren’t that bad. 

Let’s check the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20)

• Have you ever used God’s name as a swear word? That’s #3, and it is deeply offensive to Him.
• Have you ever taken anything that didn’t belong to you? That’s #8. It’s stealing.
• Have you ever told a lie? That’s #9.
• Have you ever been angry with someone? Jesus said anger is as bad as hate and murder, and that’s #6.

If you got a speeding ticket and had to appear before a judge. Would it help to say, “But judge I didn’t break all the laws, just this one.” 

He might say to you, “It only takes one to be a lawbreaker. You must pay the penalty.”

So, you will stand before God after you die to answer for whatever you have done.

He cannot just forgive these sins. They must be paid for.

Bible Verse — The wages (penalty) of sin is death (separation from God) - Romans 6:23

But wait, there’s GOOD NEWS! 

God in His LOVE has provided a way to cleanse us from our sins, or else no one would be able to go to Heaven.

Bible Verse — God showed his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us - Romans 5:8.

If you are in court accused of not paying your property taxes, and the judge is ready to take your house away, then someone walks in and says, “I’ll pay that debt,” can the judge dismiss the case? Yes, because the debt is paid. 

Jesus paid the debt we owe to God because of our sins. We can pay for our own sins by going to hell or we can receive Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as our atonement.

Is there another way? 

No, only Jesus cleanses us from sin and makes it possible for us to go to Heaven. No other religion takes care of sin.

Bible Verse — Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me” – John 14:6

Jesus atonement for our sins is not automatically applied to our account. We can only receive it by submitting ourselves to Him and agreeing to love and obey Him. He wants disciples, not fans.

Bible Verse — Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments”– John 14:15.

The very best thing you can do for yourself is to give yourself to Jesus and live His way. God’s way is always best.

It’s simple, but it’s not easy to submit yourself to God and His way.

Read through this prayer below, and then, if you are ready, pray it to God or Jesus (who are one and the same) —

Dear Jesus, I’ve done lots of things wrong. I’ve broken your laws and disobeyed you, but I believe you died to cleanse me of my sins. I accept your sacrifice as my payment and give myself totally to you to live your way from now on. Thank you for saving me from sin and Hell and opening the way for me to have a real relationship with you that goes on forever. Amen.

When you give yourself to Jesus his Holy Spirit comes to live in your spirit. He promises to always be with you, to guide you, to give you wisdom and understanding, a peace that you can’t even understand, and to talk with you (prayer is a two-way relationship). You’ll never be lonely again!

Now, if you have decided to live for Jesus, you will need to learn HOW to do it. That takes 2 things. These 2 things are the first steps in obeying Jesus and there is no alternative.

1. Read the Bible every day. Start reading beginning with the New Testament gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (Don’t start in the Old Testament). Every day take notes on what God shows you. What does that passage teach you about God or about people? Is there something in that passage that God wants you to do or not do to obey Him.

2. Find and attend a good church with a pastor who teaches the Bible and loves people. If you really believe that Jesus has cleansed you of your sin and wants to have a relationship with you, you will be happy to do these 2 things to get to know Him better. You cannot learn to live like a Christian unless someone guides you. So, you must have a mentor who knows the way and is experienced in following and obeying Jesus. This will make all the difference in whether you are successful or not. 

God wants to live in relationship to people. 

But what exactly does that mean? If you think about God occasionally; if you you kind of believe in Him; if you pray occasionally—does that mean you live in relationship to Him? Probably not. God’s original intention was to have a race of men and women who live in close relationship to him, and who allow His life, the God-life to live through them, to energize them, and to direct them. 

In the Garden of Eden Adam had 2 trees to choose from. One was the Tree of Life that would allow him to continue to live within and from the life of God. But the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was enticing to Adam and Eve because it would allow them to operate outside of the God-life, to allow their source of life to be from themselves rather than God. That tree gave them knowledge to be able to live outside of God and His life energy. They would be able to make their own decisions, manage their own feelings, basically do what they felt like—instead of what God’s directed them to do.  And here is the danger: outside of God, a self-directed man or woman commits all kinds of sins, from small things, such as being selfish, or great things, such as human trafficking, murder, etc. This kind of person is self-directed and self-interested. It’s not a pretty sight and it usually doesn’t end well. 

How do you live inside the God-life where there is peace, protection, blessings galore, satisfaction, joy, and real relationship with God? 

• You must submit to or surrender to God and His Way. The night before Jesus the Son died, He prayed to God the Father, “Not my will, but your will be done.” That must be our prayer, too. 
• You must set aside your feelings, plans, and desires (many of them are selfish anyway) and allow God to fill you with His desires.
• You must daily make yourself available to God to live His life through you.  Every morning, give yourself to God to use for His service. Ask God to be your source of energy and to direct your choices and feelings. 

This kind of submission goes against our natural human impulses, but it is the ONLY way to find the peace, love, joy, fulfillment, and blessing that is found only inside the God-life or inside a obedient relationship with God. This is the “Spout where the blessings come out,” and your life will be filled with blessings. The Bible says,  

• “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help (or prayers)” (Psalm 34:15 and I Peter 3:12)
• “The Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing Love” (Psalm 33:18).